Hammarlund HQ-170 deaf on Gentlemen's Band, good elsewhere.

[KC1MA]

I have recently picked up a Hammarlund HQ-170 with a matching S-200 speaker, both in good cosmetic shape and working well.  The pair sound good together and the radio when warmed up smells like a radio should, taking me back to memories of my teenage years.   The HQ 170 has two areas I will need to fix:

-It is just about deaf on 160 meters.  A side by side a/b comparison with another radio shows comparable receive on all bands, except 160m.  Any ideas where I should begin?

-The clock is not working.   If I can be pointed to info on the care and feeding of Hammarlund clocks, I would appreciate it.

Thanks.
Nick, KC1MA. 

[Pete, WA2CWA]

Can you hear the calibrator signal when on 160? Depending on the type of antenna, have you set the A - A - G (link/no link) correctly? Bandswitch contacts may need to be cleaned. Hang an RF signal generator on it and check the alignment. As a rule of thumb with any equipment acquisition, I always check all the tubes in a mutual conductance tester. Likewise, the use of the resistance and voltage charts can turn up less obvious problems.

Dirt, grime, open coil can render a clock useless. Unless you plan on keeping AC to the receiver all the time, even when you're not there or operating, which for a piece of equipment that's 50 years old is probably not a great idea, the clock is useless.

[KC1MA]

Hello, Pete.
   Thank you for your response.  I have printed out your list of items to check and will set to work on them.  I'll keep this bbs list updated on the results. 

I agree with you on the clock.  I don't need it to tell time, or to turn the rig on and off, which is one of the features described in the manual.  The idea behind that feature was that you set the "automatic on" timer of the clock for 30 minutes or so before you intend to operate a sked so that the rig will be all warmed up for you come sked time. Nostalgia!    Instead, I may get to a point where I want to bring the radio as close as reasonable to original operating condition.  But, fixing the clock will be the lowest in priority.

I also agree with you about not keeping the radio plugged in 24 hours a day and when I am not around just so the clock could keep time. 

73 de Nick, KC1MA.

[W2PFY]

I think one of the tubes filament is always on I think for the purpose to limit frequency drift in the radio, therefore the reason to leave it plugged in.

[Pete, WA2CWA]

That clock space lends itself to some neat creative design space. You could mount a digital battery operated clock there; you could get a digital frequency display unit from AADE and mount it there; you could add the hammarlund #9211-00-00002 11-position fix frequency crystal oscillator modification; or add a super fine audio-type adjustable filter to help enhance your receiving experience.

[Steve - K4HX]

Or a nice panadapter.

[WB6NVH]

Check the antenna coil primary by putting a VOM across the "A" terminals when the receiver is off and bandswitch set to 160, and measure resistance.  A nearby lightning strike or RF overload accident may have caused it to go open circuit.  The coil wire is a fairly small gauge on that band and easiest to go open.

[W2PFY]

It is just about deaf on 160 meters

So is mine but while I doubt that I'll ever get rid of it, I consider it less than stellar in performance. I however, do find it to be a good battle receiver !

Consider this and you might want to ask him about his digital clocks for this model. I see he has none offered right now. Other people on the board have used his products and are happy with them. I have no connection to the seller.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/DIGITAL-DIAL-HAMMARLUND-NATIONAL-HALLICRAFTERS-RX-/190746643580?pt=US_Portable_AM_FM_Radios&hash=item2c6962cc7c

I think he has offered one of the above that fits the clock space.

[KM1H]

The 170A has the VFO and BFO filaments always on and I usually rewire those and the 180A back to a normal filament circuit as Ive found most running excessive voltage, a good way to lose emission.

Id check the 160 antenna coil as it may have been zapped by RF or Mutha Nature.

Carl

[KC1MA]

Pete and all others who replied,
    I finally got some free time for radio a few weeks ago and started with the trouble-shooting possibilities that WA2CWA put forward.  A quick look showed that the antenna terminals had no A-A-G link clip at all, so I borrowed one off a "parts" Hammarlund that I had access to and it did the trick.  I suppose I could have just jumpered the A-G terminal screws, but as the spare part was handy, I went with it.   Thanks everyone very much for helping me trouble shoot the receiver.

    The receiver is working well. One day recently I heard a 20m cw station from India, VV5KAO if I remember correctly, nice and strong about an hour before sunset with the HQ-170 and a 75m dipole up about 40 feet on Cape Cod.  I am delighted with the radio.

     Next project is a Heathkit DX-100B that has been in storage for maybe 20 years.  I'll start with changing out the old electrolytic capacitors and upgrading to a modern three-wire power cord fused on the hot lead only.   Little by little I will have a vintage AM station on the air.

73 de Nick.

[KB2WIG]

"  Little by little I will have a vintage AM station on the air. "

N,

FB , OM.....

We'll talk to you on a ricebox too.


klc

[KM1H]

We'll talk to you on a ricebox too.

klc

Even a SDR if we are desperate enough

[KC1MA]

So far, my Icom 746 with the Heil ProSet is working ok on 75m AM.  I've heard some Kenwood TS-440s on the air with and without audio mods with good results.   Neither radio glows in the dark and I'm looking forward to seeing what the DX-100B can do.

Nick.

[KB2WIG]

N,

" Icom 746 with the Heil ProSet "

Have u tried the 9V batt and pot trick to controll the AGC??


klc